Controlled cleaving process

Abstract

A technique for forming a film of material ( 12 ) from a donor substrate ( 10 ). The technique has a step of introducing energetic particles ( 22 ) through a surface of a donor substrate ( 10 ) to a selected depth ( 20 ) underneath the surface, where the particles have a relatively high concentration to define a donor substrate material ( 12 ) above the selected depth. An energy source is directed to a selected region of the donor substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action of the substrate ( 10 ) at the selected depth ( 20 ), whereupon the cleaving action provides an expanding cleave front to free the donor material from a remaining portion of the donor substrate.

1. A method for forming multilayered substrates for solar cells, the method comprising:
 providing a donor substrate comprising an overlying a film of silicon material to be detached, the donor substrate having a cleave region formed within a vicinity of between the film of silicon material and a lower portion of the donor substrate; 
 coupling a surface region of the film of silicon material from the donor substrate to a dielectric handle substrate; 
 applying a voltage between the donor substrate including the film of silicon material and the dielectric handle substrate to induce bonding between the surface region of the film of silicon material and the dielectric handle substrate; and 
 initiating a cleaving action to remove the film of silicon material using a cleave front propagating across the donor substrate from a first side to a second side to form a multi-layered substrate. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the multi-layered substrate comprises the film of silicon material overlying the dielectric handle substrate. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric handle substrate comprises glass. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the dielectric handle substrate comprises quartz. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the multilayered substrate is the film of silicon material on the dielectric handle substrate comprising glass. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 1  further comprising plasma activating the surface region of the film of silicon material before the coupling. 
   
   
     7. The method of  claim 6  wherein the plasma activating comprises a plasma cleaning process. 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 7  wherein the plasma cleaning process uses a non-reactive gas. 
   
   
     9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the donor substrate and the dielectric handle substrate are subjected to a thermal source to elevate a temperature of the dielectric handle substrate and the donor substrate. 
   
   
     10. The method of  claim 1  further comprising increasing a global energy of the donor substrate and the dielectric handle substrate using a thermal source. 
   
   
     11. The method of  claim 1  further comprising introducing a plurality of particles through a surface of the donor substrate into the donor substrate. 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the plurality of particles is derived from a source selected from the group consisting of hydrogen gas, helium gas, water vapor, methane, and hydrogen compounds. 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the plurality of particles is selected from the group consisting of neutral molecules, neutral atoms, charged molecules, charged atoms, and electrons. 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the plurality of particles is provided in the cleave region. 
   
   
     15. A method for forming multilayered substrates for multi-layered substrates, the method comprising:
 providing a donor substrate comprising an overlying a film of silicon material to be detached, the donor substrate having a cleave region formed within a vicinity of between the film of silicon material and a lower portion of the donor substrate; 
 coupling a surface region of the film of silicon material from the donor substrate to a dielectric handle substrate; 
 applying a voltage between the donor substrate including the film of silicon material and the dielectric handle substrate to induce bonding between the surface region of the film of silicon material and the dielectric handle substrate; 
 increasing a temperature of the donor substrate and the dielectric handle substrate to increase a global energy of the donor substrate and the dielectric handle substrate; and 
 initiating a cleaving action to remove the film of silicon material using a propagating cleave front propagating across the donor substrate from a first side to a second side to form a multi-layered substrate. 
 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 15  wherein the multi-layered substrate comprises the film of silicon material overlying the dielectric handle substrate. 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 15  wherein the voltage causes the temperature of the donor substrate and the dielectric handle substrate to increase. 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 15  wherein the dielectric handle substrate comprises glass. 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 15  wherein the dielectric handle substrate comprises quartz. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 19  wherein the increasing of the temperature is provided by a thermal source. 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 20  wherein the thermal source is selected from a photon beam, a fluid jet, a liquid jet, a gas jet, an electro/magnetic field, an electron beam, a thermo electric heating process, or a furnace. 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 20  wherein the thermal source is a time varying process. 
   
   
     23. The method of  claim 20  wherein the thermal source is a continuous process. 
   
   
     24. The method of  claim 15  wherein the multilayered substrate is the film of silicon material on the dielectric handle substrate comprising glass. 
   
   
     25. The method of  claim 15  further comprising plasma activating the surface region of the film of silicon material before the coupling. 
   
   
     26. The method of  claim 25  wherein the plasma activating comprises a plasma cleaning process. 
   
   
     27. The method of  claim 19  wherein the plasma cleaning process uses a non-reactive gas. 
   
   
     28. The method of  claim 15  wherein the cleaving action is in a selected portion of the donor substrate. 
   
   
     29. The method of  claim 28  wherein the selected portion is an edge region. 
   
   
     30. The method of  claim 15  further comprising introducing a plurality of particles through a surface of the donor substrate into the donor substrate. 
   
   
     31. The method of  claim 30  wherein at least one of the plurality of particles is derived from a source selected from the group consisting of hydrogen gas, helium gas, water vapor, methane, and hydrogen compounds. 
   
   
     32. The method of  claim 30  wherein at least one of the plurality of particles is selected from the group consisting of neutral molecules, neutral atoms, charged molecules, charged atoms, and electrons. 
   
   
     33. The method of  claim 30  wherein at least one of the plurality of particles is provided in the cleave region.